India beats New Zealand in Christchurch T20I

New Zealand had first posted 180 for 5 after a shaky start, recovering through Glenn Phillips’ 70 and Bevon Jacobs’ 58. Santner’s left-arm spin then nearly changed the match entirely, ripping through India’s middle order and finishing with 4 for 21. But the total proved just short once India’s lower order found enough power to keep the required rate manageable.

The turning point came in the closing overs, when Tilak and Nitish shifted the momentum with calculated aggression. India needed 46 from the last three overs, but Tilak’s clean hitting — including three boundaries and a six in the penultimate over — cut the equation to a chaseable single-digit target before he brought up his fifty. Nitish finished the job after India’s top order had again failed to bat through the innings.

For India, the result strengthens the series position and reinforces the value of flexible batting depth in conditions where dew can tilt the contest late. For New Zealand, Santner’s spell offered a template, but their inability to close out a game after such a dominant middle-overs phase will be a concern. With the series already slipping away, the hosts now need both tighter execution with the ball and a better finish with the bat to avoid a sweep.